Electric controller, including a volume controlling resistance



Jan. 27, 1959 J. w. JONES 2,871,327

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER, INCLUDING A VOLUME CONTROLLING RESISTANCE Filed May 11, 1953 2 Sheets$heet 1 l NV E N TOR.

7y diva/#6164 55 Jan. 27, 1959 Y J. w. JONES 7 ELECTRIC CONTROLLER, INCLUDING A VOLUME CONTR Filed May 11, 1953 OLLING RESISTANCE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H mm;

ATTORNEY United States Patent O ELECTRHC CONTROLLER, INEILUDING A VOLUME CONTROLLING RESlLSTANCE Joseph W. J ones, New York, N. Y.

Application May 11, 1953, Serial No. 353333 1 Claim. (Cl. 201-62) The invention herein disclosed relates to television apparatus and the general purpose of the invention is to provide practical and efficient means for adjusting and controlling such apparatus from a distance, such as from an audience viewing position in the room where the television receiver is located.

More specific objects of the invention are to provide means for adjusting and controlling, such as for selecting different wave channels, regulating volume and turning the set on and off, which will be of simple, small and compact design, readily applicable to existing receiving sets now in use.

Special objects of the invention are to provide control apparatus such as indicated in separate unit form, one unit for volume control, another for channel selection and another for on and off control, each unit complete in itself and usable as such or combinable with any or all the others to in the last case constitute a single combined unit incorporating any or all such control features.

Further special objects of the invention are to so design the parts of the several units that they may be interchangeably used as components of the several different units.

Further objects of the invention are to provide the advantages mentioned'in a simple, durable, inexpensive form of construction which will be sealed and protected against tampering or other injury.

Other desirable objects attained by the invention are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate present commercial embodiments of the invention but structure may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a broken front view illustration of a conventional television receiver with usual controls and showing diagrammatically one method of attachment of the present remote controls thereto. in this view the remote controls for On and Oil, volume level and channel selection are shown at the left in rela tively separated relation.

'Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken sectional detail of the channel selector mechanism as on substantially the plane of line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same mechanism as on substantially the plane of line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an interior view of the On and Oil switch unit, with the cap or cover of this unit removed and the spindle of the switch appearing in section;

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same on substantially the plane of line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an interior view of the with cover removed;

Fig. 7 is an interior view of the selector switch unit, with coverremoved;

volume control unit,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the latter as on substantially the plane of line 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan or edge view of the three units in their assembled, close connected relation;

Fig. 10 is a wiring diagram of the selector mechanism.

In Fig. 1 a television receiver of more or less usual design is indicated at 15, having suitable controls including a channel selecting knob 16 and in back of that, a fine tuning knob 17.

In the present disclosure three remote control units are provided, these being shown for illustrative purposes in separated relation at the left in Fig. 1, as an 011" and 01f switch unit 13, a volume control unit 19 and a channel selector unit 20.

These consist in each instance of a small flat case containing the necessary parts, each unit complete in itself but adapted to be combined with others by reason of its flat, shallow construction and by having tubular passages 21 therethrough for screws or other fastenings 22, to secure the units solidly together in face-totace engagement, as shown in Fig. 9.

To enable use, so far as possible, of interchangeable components for the different units, the cases are shown as made up of complemental, flanged front and back covers 23, 2 4, and rlexible strips 25 curled int-o circular formation and held so by the flanges as, 27, of the front and back covers to constitute the side walls of the boxes so formed.

Tubular rivets may be desirably employed to fasten the front and back covers together over the circular strip side walls 25, these providing permanent fastenings sealing the parts enclosed and forming the tubular passages 21 above referred to, through which the assembly fastenings are passed.

The ends of the side wall strips 25 may come together to completely close the case or they may, if desired, be left spaced as indicated at 23 in Fig. 4, to provide passage for wires or other elements.

The On and Off switch unit 13 is shown in Figs. 1, 4- and 5 as having a circular insulating base 29 carrying spring contacts 39, 31 to which the wires 32, 33 are connected and a spindle carrying a bridging contact 35, said spindle projecting through the front cover 23 and carrying an operating button or knob 36.

In Fig. l the wires from this switch are shown extended to an adapter 37 plugged into a service outlet 38 and receiving the prongs of the plug 39 on the supply cord 4% of the receiving set. In this manner the unit 18 is cut in ahead of .the service cord of the television receiver, thus to enable the set to be turned on or off at will by rotary adjustments of the control knob 36 which, through wiring 32, 33, may be located and used at some remote, convenient point.

The volume control unit 19 is shown in Figs. 6 and 9 as made with a thumb disc ll journaled at 42 on a circular insulating base 43 to project through an opening 4-4 in the side of the case and carrying an inwardly projecting spring finger 455 engageable with the volume control resistance 46.

One wire 47 is shown connected with one end of this resistance, and a second wire, 48, with a strip 49 bearing against the inner end of contact strip l5 at the back of thumb disc il. Strip 45 is of spring material to act as a spring contact and is shown angled at 50 forwardly from the back of the disc through a notch 51 in the edge of the same so as to turn with the disc.

Wires 47, 48 are shown extended in Fig. l to the volume control circuit of the receiver so that with operation of thumb turn ll the volume may be controlled from a remote point.

The opening 44 for the thumb disc 41 may be provided by a notch in the side strip 25 of the volume con- 3 trol case or by leaving the ends of the side strip separated to that extent. If the latter, the wires may be brought into the case through a special opening 52 provided for the purpose in the sidewall strip.

The channel selector unit is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 as in the nature of a pushbutton switch, having a button 53 guided through an opening in the front cover plate and engaging a spring 54 hearing on a contact spring 55.

The circular insulating base 56 at the back of the case supports these two springs in proper position for actuation by the pushbutton and also carries a permanent magnet contact terminal 57 for engagement by a magnetizable contact 58 on the end of the spring contact arm 55.

This arrangement has the desirable efiect of providing quick make-and-break engagement and disengagement of the relatively fixed and movable spring contacts.

Wires 59, 60 are shown extended through the side of the case from the fixed and movable spring contacts to control a small electric motor 61 mounted to turn the channel selector indicated at 16.

Figs. 1 2 and 3 show this motor 61 as carried by a bracket 62 secured on the front of the receiver in back of the control knobs 16 and 17, and having a geared connection at 63 with the channel selecting spindle 64.

Also mounted on or concentric with this spindle is a selector disc 65 of insulating material having notches 66 in the rim of the same corresponding to the channel indications and positions 67 and engageable by the inwardly bent end 68 of a spring contact lever 69. This lever is shown as carrying a contact 70 engageable by a fixed contact 71 when the arm is riding the periphery ot the disc, and disengageable from said fixed contact when the tip of the spring arm drops into one of the notches.

As shown in the wiring diagram, Fig. 10, the pushbutton switch is connected by wires 59, 60 with the relatively fixed and movable contacts 73. and 70 of the channel indexing switch so that the motor may be started when the latter contacts are separated, with the indexing wheel 65 standing with the spring lever 69 dropped in one of the notches 66.

In this manner the pushbutton switch operates to bridge the indexing switch contacts 70, 71 to start the motor independently of the indexing switch through a lead 72 extended from stationary contact 71 to one side of the motor, circuit being completed by a return lead 73 from the motor to the service circuit plug '74, the latter having a second wire 75 to a common terminal 76 for the indexing arm 69 and the pushbutton wire 60.

From this it will be clear that operation of pushbutton 53, at some remote control point, will start the motor to effect channel selection and that immediately after starting the motor or as soon as the index wheel 65 is turned far enough to lift the spring finger 69 out of a notch 66 to close switch contacts 70, 71, the pushbutton may be released and the motor will continue to turn until the spring arm drops into the next notch. If this is not the channel desired the pushbutton may be operated again and in this fashion the indexing wheel may be stepped along until the desired channel is reached.

Instead of stepping the movement one channel stage at a time, the pushbutton switch may be held closed until the desired selection is attained, but in any event when the pushbutton switch is open the motor will stop at the nearest channel, that is, when the first notch in the disc reaches the spring arm and permits the motor switch 70, 71 to open.

The several control units are each of simple, durable, light, inexpensive construction and of a size to be readily held in the hand. They may be put together in flat, back-to-back engagement, all or any number of them, and be secured in that relation by the through fastenings 22, in a compact form small enough to be held in the hand or to be placed on a convenient table or other support.

The control units as shown are readily applicable to television sets now in use and provide practical, convenient control of such sets from an audience viewing or other more or less remote position.

Any one unit may be used alone. Thus, if it be desired only to be able to turn the television set on or off from a distance, the control unit 18 may be employed. Or, if it be desired only to have remote control of volume the unit 19 alone may be used. If remote channel selection only is desired the unit 20 with the motor attachment may be employed.

Each of the control units 18, 19 and 26 is small and light enough to be conveniently held in the hand, enabling a viewer to make instant changes as desired.

The motor may be a small geared motor operating at approximately one R. P. M., light enough to be hung on the outer end of the channel selector shaft and held against rotation by engagement of a portion of the motor frame 77 with a forwardly angled lug 78 on the bracket 62.

The quick snap action of the magnetic pushbutton switch provides a desirable control for the motor, enabling an observer to effect quick channel adjustments either step-by-step or in a single continuous movement.

The thumb disc 41 of the volume control, Fig. 6, secured on its pivotal mounting 42, holds the inner end of the spring contact finger 45 engaged with the terminal strip 49 and the outer end yieldingly engaged with the resistance 46, the offset intermediate portion 50 engaged in the notch or opening 51 interlocking with and obliging this spring finger to turn with the disc.

The flexible strips 25 which are used to form the side walls of the control cases may be of different width and length to make these cases thicker or thinner and to leave desired wire or other openings in the side walls, in accordance with special requirements.

While primarily designed for television control, as described, it is contemplated that the several control units may be used for other than the specific purposes disclosed. Thus the step-by-step automatic indexing motor control may be used for variably setting a rotatably adjustable antenna or the like.

Also, it is contemplated that the motor control may be equipped to elfect reverse rotation of the motor, as by interposing a motor reversing switch and necessary connections from the hand control unit to the motor.

To enable the setting of the motor and the channel indicator in proper relation, provision for necessary adjustment may be made as by equipping the channel indicator 16 with set-screw adjustment 79, as shown in Fig. 2, so that this indicator will show the true channel position etfected by the motor.

What is claimed is:

A control unit for a television receiver comprising a fiat case to be held in the hand, a thumb disc pivoted in said case and having a thumb-engageable portion protruding from the side of the case, a volume controlling resistance in said case adjoining the inner side of said thumb disc, said thumb disc having an opening in that portion toward the resistance, a terminal strip in the case at the back of said thumb disc and a spring contact strip having an inner end portion engaged between the back of the thumb disc and said terminal strip, an angled portion projecting through said opening and a contact portion engaged with said resistance.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,441,399 Clark Jan. 9, 1923 1,656,431 Edenburg Jan. 17, 1928 1,776,664 Rhodus Sept. 23, 1930 1,911,021 Gunther et al. May 23, 1933 2,069,440 Hathorn Feb. 2, 1937 2,111,810 Schellenger Mar. 22, 1938 (Other references on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,474,843 Helsing July 5, 1949 2 125 954 Richter Au 9 1933 1 3 Youhouse Aug. 1949 2,134,870 Fmth 5 1, 1938 214844192 p od 11, 1 9 2,238,391 Masters Apr. 15, 1941 $40,294 sclflllcher F611 1951 2 259 792 Batcheuer Oct. 21 1941 5 2,366,278 Wllllams 1951 2 2 459 Kilar Oct 2 1941 2,617,911 6t 81- NOV- 11, 1 2 2 73 7 0 Nelson Feb. 17 1942 2,620,413 les 3 a1 Dec- 2, 1 2 2,285,352 Paulson June 2, 1942 2,650,270 Mucher 25, 1953 2,444,302 Lybarger June 29, 194 2320572 Mme 11, 1955 8 445 9 Fiona July 27 194 10 2,777,926 BQUYIIS 1957 

